Edward B. Harmon: Vote like your future depends on it

Monday

Sep 24, 2012 at 2:49 PM

I was raised in a liberal Democratic family and my late father used to tell me " if you keep doing the same things over and over again, and expect a different result, you are insane." Although my father only finished high school when he was in his late sixties, he was the brightest man I ever met.

The American people are now faced, and I think happily, with a stark choice in the presidential election between two very different visions, and we have the clear performance of President Obama and the results of his policies and programs to judge. If Americans are happy with the way things are going, would be pleased to give their children the nation in this condition and feel they will be better off if the present polices are continued, and accelerated, without restraint, as there will be no fear of the next election and Obama will have "more flexibility", if by fiat or otherwise, to continue the same policies, then one should vote for Obama.

Let's coldly review, without passion, the results of the Obama presidency and ignore the fact that he always blames others for the fruits of his labors.

Annual spending exceeds the 2007 level by $1 trillion; we have budget deficits of $1.4 trillion in 2009, $1.3 trillion in 2010 and $1.2 trillion this year. The four year increase in government borrowing amounts to $55,000. per household. I only wonder how many households believe, truly, that they, and their children have been benefited by this debt, which will have to be paid.

The results, for the economy, and for our children are also clear. Gone is the talk of the "shovel ready" projects or the "recovery summer" and the statement that the "stimulus" would go to fund infrastructure.. We now know the stimulus went to the states to avoid their having, for a brief period, to do what private enterprise has to do in lean times. They were, for a while, able to avoid laying off employees and economizing. Only 6 percent of the funds went to infrastructure. The rest went to the states, politically driven spending, Solyndra, and the entire "political class" of parasites and other boondoggles. The stimulus was, as Obama said, to be targeted and temporary, I guess he forget the temporary part.

If the first thing Obama focuses on, as he said, each days is jobs I fear to think what the second thing is. His policies have been a disaster. And let's not forget for the first two years of his reign, his party had complete control of the House, the Senate and the Presidency, and, thus, got exactly what they wanted.

I well know that Obama and his campaign would rather discuss the NBA, fantasy football, contraceptives, late term abortions at taxpayer expense, gay marriage, Beyonce, his children, Romney's dog and go on vacations, but America's jobless and our children demand a radical change. The results are clear...an unemployment rate of 8.1 percent, 43 straight months of unemployment over 8 percent labor force participation rate at 63.5 percent, the lowest since 1981, reflecting the millions of able-bodied Americans willing to work who have, to be direct,, given up looking due to the horrid economy, and prospects, unemployment or underemployment among college graduates at over 50 percent, minority unemployment over 16 percent, and among young minority members substantially higher. And the President smiles and laughs.

There was a time, when Obama, in 2009, said "Mark my words...Medicare in about eight or nine years goes into the red...It is going broke." He was right, the program must be reformed and the shame is that he knows it..Yet, he has offered no solutions, none. He has become the most agile reactionary when it comes to reforming any of the programs that are beloved by his supporters and the extreme left wing, which is really all there is left of his party; be it failing schools, give in to the unions, ignore the kids, and try to kill school freedom of choice, Medicare, Social Security, federal spending etc.

He had a chance on Medicare to be bipartisan. Rep. Ryan's plan would cut the increase in Medicare spending to 3 percent a year, from about 5 percent, give Medicare recipients, in about 15 years, the same choice that federal employees get right now and preserve the benefits for those at or near retirement. This plan was backed by serious research. Rep. Ryan and Sen. Wyden, a liberal Democrat, both showed real political courage and leadership in endorsing it. The plan is generally consistent with the plan endorsed by Senators, both Democrats, John Breaux and Bob Kerry as part of Bill Clinton's Medicare commission in 1989. And Obama's response was to demonize it and humiliate its authors I had hoped for better leadership, but why would the same fellow who appointed the Simpson-Bowles Commission on Deficit Reduction , and then ignored it, do any different as to entitlements.

The choice is clear. Romney is not perfect, no candidate is. However, by his education, and his college, law school and business school records are publicly available (unlike Obama's) integrity and proven, both in government and the private sector, ability to create economic growth and make the difficult choices needed to restore hope to America and confidence in its future. He has earned the right to lead America forward. Obama tried, and he has failed America and its future. We need to move on.Edward B. Harmon,Alachua

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